Troubleshooting: How to Fix a Bad Brew

The ability to diagnose a bad cup of coffee is a crucial skill for any home brewer. Here are some common problems and their solutions:

Your coffee tastes sour and watery. This is a sign of under-extraction. Not enough of the flavorful compounds were dissolved from the grounds.

Solution: Your grind is likely too coarse, or your water temperature is too low. Try making the grind a little finer or increasing your water temperature by a few degrees. This will increase the contact time and extraction.

Your coffee tastes bitter and harsh. This indicates over-extraction. You dissolved too many of the undesirable, bitter compounds.

Solution: Your grind is probably too fine, or your water is too hot. Try making the grind a bit coarser, using slightly cooler water, or reducing the total brew time.

Your brew time is too long. This means the water is not flowing through the coffee bed efficiently.

Solution: Your grind is too fine, or you may be pouring too much water at once, causing the coffee bed to clog. Try a coarser grind and pour more slowly.

Your brew time is too short. The water is rushing through the coffee bed.

Solution: Your grind is too coarse, or you're pouring too fast. Try a finer grind and ensure your pours are slow and controlled.